Adrian Stephens's Blog - Posts Tagged "fringe"
#13 - Fitting In
It seems like such a simple thing. Fitting in. No matter our age or place in life, we are a society of people who want to fit in. We need to fit in. Right now, if you are telling your computer screen, "I don't need to fit in with anyone," ask yourself how hard you try to fit in with those people who don't like to fit in with anyone else.
No matter what our interests are, we like to find others who share our interests. That may not mean we want to necessarily do the popular thing, that which 'everyone' else is doing, but we want at least someone else who we can share our interests with. Whether we realize it or not, and even whether we need it or not, it gives us some sort of validation to know that there is someone else (and hopefully more than one) on this planet who sees things the way we do.
But, what about being unique? If we have this underlying need to find things in common, how can we be ourselves? I think we can all agree that just because we find people who share some of our likes doesn't mean we have anyone who shares all of our likes.
I like to read, write, bowl, golf, play piano, sing at the top of my lungs in the car, practice Taekwondo and hang out with friends. Some of you may be saying, "yeah, I like all of that stuff too." Great! I'm a diehard St. Louis Rams fan (some small part of me must like to suffer), a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan, a St. Louis Blues fan (no, I'm not from St. Louis), a Lakers fan, a USC fan and a UNLV Rebels fan. Not necessarily in that order. I would imagine that I lost a large chunk of things in common with people from the first group above.
If any of you are still hanging on, I like to watch Fringe, Lost (when it was on), Revenge, Grey's Anatomy and...Glee.
Still have the same tastes? Let's try music. My favorites all-time would be Elton John, Journey, Queen, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Madonna, The Beatles. I like Taylor Swift, Daughtry, movie scores (anything by John Williams, but lots of others too) and *gasp* some Eminem (though I could do without the language-don't ask me how that makes sense).
If anyone out there checked off every item on my list, send me a message...I've always wanted to meet my twin.
The thing is, I can find plenty of people who like each and every one of the things I mentioned separately, some who like many of the things I've mentioned, and yet I uniquely like all of these things together. That's what makes me...me. None of my likes, strange as they may seem to you, bring harm to others.
Being the father of two boys in elementary school, I see them trying to make these connections with kids in their classrooms. I help out at their school one day a week, and I see how all of these kids, not just mine, are looking to form bonds with one another, friendships that they may keep for much, if not all, of their lives. It's important. Sadly, some kids, and even some adults, don't realize that they don't have to tear down others just to prove that they fit in better. If we search hard enough, we will see that we have much more in common with our enemies than we think, and we have probably a lot less in common with our friends than we realize, if we were ever brave enough to open ourselves up that much.
I'm not suggesting that everyone could or would be able to be friends with everyone else if we just tried a little harder. Some of our likes are just too different and too important to us to be able to want to spend time together. But, that's okay. It would just be nice to see that people didn't have to hate each other for their differences. Or even if it's not hate, it would be nice to see people not teased endlessly for their differences.
When I wrote the title for this blog, I was going to write about how the book industry tries to fit everything into a genre, even if it has to be forced. Could I have gotten more off track? Well, I'll save that for my next post. For now, as we grow ever nearer the holiday season, whether you celebrate, Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holiday, I hope we can all take just a few moments to appreciate the commonalities as well as the differences of the people who we share space with.
Just a reminder that you can find In My Shoes available in your favorite formats. Christmas is just around the corner, and In My Shoes would make a great gift for your son, daughter, niece, nephew, brother or sister. Find it in the following formats:
Kindle
Amazon hardcover
NOOK
Barnes and Noble hardcover
adrianstephens.com (multiple formats)
smashwords (multiple formats)
iBookstore
Sony Reader
No matter what our interests are, we like to find others who share our interests. That may not mean we want to necessarily do the popular thing, that which 'everyone' else is doing, but we want at least someone else who we can share our interests with. Whether we realize it or not, and even whether we need it or not, it gives us some sort of validation to know that there is someone else (and hopefully more than one) on this planet who sees things the way we do.
But, what about being unique? If we have this underlying need to find things in common, how can we be ourselves? I think we can all agree that just because we find people who share some of our likes doesn't mean we have anyone who shares all of our likes.
I like to read, write, bowl, golf, play piano, sing at the top of my lungs in the car, practice Taekwondo and hang out with friends. Some of you may be saying, "yeah, I like all of that stuff too." Great! I'm a diehard St. Louis Rams fan (some small part of me must like to suffer), a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan, a St. Louis Blues fan (no, I'm not from St. Louis), a Lakers fan, a USC fan and a UNLV Rebels fan. Not necessarily in that order. I would imagine that I lost a large chunk of things in common with people from the first group above.
If any of you are still hanging on, I like to watch Fringe, Lost (when it was on), Revenge, Grey's Anatomy and...Glee.
Still have the same tastes? Let's try music. My favorites all-time would be Elton John, Journey, Queen, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Madonna, The Beatles. I like Taylor Swift, Daughtry, movie scores (anything by John Williams, but lots of others too) and *gasp* some Eminem (though I could do without the language-don't ask me how that makes sense).
If anyone out there checked off every item on my list, send me a message...I've always wanted to meet my twin.
The thing is, I can find plenty of people who like each and every one of the things I mentioned separately, some who like many of the things I've mentioned, and yet I uniquely like all of these things together. That's what makes me...me. None of my likes, strange as they may seem to you, bring harm to others.
Being the father of two boys in elementary school, I see them trying to make these connections with kids in their classrooms. I help out at their school one day a week, and I see how all of these kids, not just mine, are looking to form bonds with one another, friendships that they may keep for much, if not all, of their lives. It's important. Sadly, some kids, and even some adults, don't realize that they don't have to tear down others just to prove that they fit in better. If we search hard enough, we will see that we have much more in common with our enemies than we think, and we have probably a lot less in common with our friends than we realize, if we were ever brave enough to open ourselves up that much.
I'm not suggesting that everyone could or would be able to be friends with everyone else if we just tried a little harder. Some of our likes are just too different and too important to us to be able to want to spend time together. But, that's okay. It would just be nice to see that people didn't have to hate each other for their differences. Or even if it's not hate, it would be nice to see people not teased endlessly for their differences.
When I wrote the title for this blog, I was going to write about how the book industry tries to fit everything into a genre, even if it has to be forced. Could I have gotten more off track? Well, I'll save that for my next post. For now, as we grow ever nearer the holiday season, whether you celebrate, Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holiday, I hope we can all take just a few moments to appreciate the commonalities as well as the differences of the people who we share space with.
Just a reminder that you can find In My Shoes available in your favorite formats. Christmas is just around the corner, and In My Shoes would make a great gift for your son, daughter, niece, nephew, brother or sister. Find it in the following formats:
Kindle
Amazon hardcover
NOOK
Barnes and Noble hardcover
adrianstephens.com (multiple formats)
smashwords (multiple formats)
iBookstore
Sony Reader
#17 - Composing a Masterpiece
Have you ever finished watching a movie, and as you're walking out with your friends or family, started discussing all of the scenes that made the movie great? Or terrible?
The funny thing about movies, not unlike books, one or two great scenes don't make it good. So, what makes a movie truly great? There are lots of possible answers to this question. It was really funny, the action was mind-blowing, it made me cry...
As I watch a movie, I'm subconsciously collecting scenes that I love (or don't like). My final impression of a movie will be based on that collection of scenes and how strong they evoked an emotion from me. But there is something more, something that I believe truly makes or breaks a movie.
Think about your favorite movie of all-time. If you can't think of one favorite, pick one in your top ten. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Titanic, Avatar...no matter what the movie you're thinking of right now, I bet it had a great film score. Yep, that's the key. Without the music that accompanies our favorite movies, they would be a skeleton of what we know and love.
Just take Star Wars as an example (if you haven't seen Star Wars, I'm sorry. You should go watch it right now and then come right back to this spot. Go on now, this is important. We'll wait!). Think about the intro when 'Star Wars' flashes on the screen (how many of you have the music playing in your head right now?). Before your first action sequence, before the first character takes to the screen, John Williams already has your attention and, if you're like me, you're excited for what's coming next.
Now imagine Star Wars without any music. None...zilch. The opening credits scroll...in silence. As the Rebel Fleet waits for the Empire to blast the hull door, there is no anticipation...just silence.
I remember reading somewhere about when George Lucas was screening Star Wars to a group of friends and peers, including Steven Spielberg. The screening was done prior to the final sound effects and film score being put in place. My understanding is that the group, including Mr. Spielberg, were not overly impressed with the film, and that they didn't feel the magic that it later became. Why? The score. Not to take anything away from George Lucas, but a movie needs a strong score to truly be great.
John Williams has written many of the great sci-fi action film scores, though his range extends beyond the genre. But, there are many great composers out there who can craft a good story into a masterpiece.
For those of you who have never considered the world of film scores, consider these musicians and some of their more recognizable work (click on their names for a more complete list from IMDB.com):
John Williams - Star Wars I-VI, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and..., E.T., Harry Potter, Jaws, Schindler's List...this list goes on forever.
James Horner - Avatar, The Amazing Spider-Man, A Beautiful Mind, The Perfect Storm, Titanic, Apollo 13, Braveheart, Patriot Games, Cocoon, Field of Dreams...
Hans Zimmer - Inception, Pearl Harbor, The Lion King, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, A League of Their Own, Kung Fu Panda, The Last Samurai, some of the Mission Impossibles and Pirates of the Caribbean scores...
The late Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek (several in this series), Star Trek: The Next Generation, Air Force One, First Knight, Forever Young, First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Twilight Zone: The Movie...
Danny Elfman - Men in Black I-III, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Batman, Batman Returns, Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...
As a huge fan of the television shows Lost, Fringe and the all too short lived Alcatraz, I have to include:
Michael Giacchino - Lost, Fringe, Alcatraz, Star Trek, Speed Racer, Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol...
So, considering all of the amazing composers out there to make our favorite movies into masterpieces, the question begs...if you were making a movie, who would be the top composer to put your movie over the top?
I've thought about this quite a bit. For In My Shoes, I thought about it quite a bit. If I were going to take my book to the big screen, I'm thinking Hans Zimmer would be the best composer to make it great. I envision something along the lines of A League of Their Own, with a moving score that captures both the comedic and the dramatic moments with perfectly balanced emotion.
Feel free to chime in. If you think a different composer would make a better fit for my book, let me know your thoughts. If you'd like to tell me who would write the score to the story in your mind, let me know that too!
The hardcover of In My Shoes is on sale through the end of October. Check out my website or Amazon.com for details!
Update - Weigh in on the poll question for who you would want composing your masterpiece here!
The funny thing about movies, not unlike books, one or two great scenes don't make it good. So, what makes a movie truly great? There are lots of possible answers to this question. It was really funny, the action was mind-blowing, it made me cry...
As I watch a movie, I'm subconsciously collecting scenes that I love (or don't like). My final impression of a movie will be based on that collection of scenes and how strong they evoked an emotion from me. But there is something more, something that I believe truly makes or breaks a movie.
Think about your favorite movie of all-time. If you can't think of one favorite, pick one in your top ten. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Titanic, Avatar...no matter what the movie you're thinking of right now, I bet it had a great film score. Yep, that's the key. Without the music that accompanies our favorite movies, they would be a skeleton of what we know and love.
Just take Star Wars as an example (if you haven't seen Star Wars, I'm sorry. You should go watch it right now and then come right back to this spot. Go on now, this is important. We'll wait!). Think about the intro when 'Star Wars' flashes on the screen (how many of you have the music playing in your head right now?). Before your first action sequence, before the first character takes to the screen, John Williams already has your attention and, if you're like me, you're excited for what's coming next.
Now imagine Star Wars without any music. None...zilch. The opening credits scroll...in silence. As the Rebel Fleet waits for the Empire to blast the hull door, there is no anticipation...just silence.
I remember reading somewhere about when George Lucas was screening Star Wars to a group of friends and peers, including Steven Spielberg. The screening was done prior to the final sound effects and film score being put in place. My understanding is that the group, including Mr. Spielberg, were not overly impressed with the film, and that they didn't feel the magic that it later became. Why? The score. Not to take anything away from George Lucas, but a movie needs a strong score to truly be great.
John Williams has written many of the great sci-fi action film scores, though his range extends beyond the genre. But, there are many great composers out there who can craft a good story into a masterpiece.
For those of you who have never considered the world of film scores, consider these musicians and some of their more recognizable work (click on their names for a more complete list from IMDB.com):
John Williams - Star Wars I-VI, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and..., E.T., Harry Potter, Jaws, Schindler's List...this list goes on forever.
James Horner - Avatar, The Amazing Spider-Man, A Beautiful Mind, The Perfect Storm, Titanic, Apollo 13, Braveheart, Patriot Games, Cocoon, Field of Dreams...
Hans Zimmer - Inception, Pearl Harbor, The Lion King, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, A League of Their Own, Kung Fu Panda, The Last Samurai, some of the Mission Impossibles and Pirates of the Caribbean scores...
The late Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek (several in this series), Star Trek: The Next Generation, Air Force One, First Knight, Forever Young, First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Twilight Zone: The Movie...
Danny Elfman - Men in Black I-III, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Batman, Batman Returns, Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...
As a huge fan of the television shows Lost, Fringe and the all too short lived Alcatraz, I have to include:
Michael Giacchino - Lost, Fringe, Alcatraz, Star Trek, Speed Racer, Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol...
So, considering all of the amazing composers out there to make our favorite movies into masterpieces, the question begs...if you were making a movie, who would be the top composer to put your movie over the top?
I've thought about this quite a bit. For In My Shoes, I thought about it quite a bit. If I were going to take my book to the big screen, I'm thinking Hans Zimmer would be the best composer to make it great. I envision something along the lines of A League of Their Own, with a moving score that captures both the comedic and the dramatic moments with perfectly balanced emotion.
Feel free to chime in. If you think a different composer would make a better fit for my book, let me know your thoughts. If you'd like to tell me who would write the score to the story in your mind, let me know that too!
The hardcover of In My Shoes is on sale through the end of October. Check out my website or Amazon.com for details!
Update - Weigh in on the poll question for who you would want composing your masterpiece here!
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